This is the second tea cosy in the Grandma collection, designed with a slight twist on an original theme to keep your teapot well dressed and looking fine.  It is fun and frilly and a little OTT… but that’s what I love…

 

Dedicated to the inspiration that was ‘Mabel‘

  The pattern makes a tea cosy that fits a standard 4 cup teapot.

I used just under  50g of Stylecraft special dk yarn in colourway duck egg, lipstick, saffron, meadow, candyfloss and cloud.

You will also need approximately 40 buttons in similar colours and of  all different sizes which  were languishing in my button jar.

 

Stitches used in this pattern refer to English terminology, however a conversion to US terminology is provided in brackets.

Ch – chain stitch 

slst – slip stitch

dc – double crochet ( single crochet)

dc tog – double crochet together (single crochet together)

You will also need:

a 4mm hook

a darning needle

scraps of yarn to use as temporary tie markers 

a stitch marker 

approximately 120cms of lace about 3cms wide

Top Tip: safety pins make excellent stitch markers! 

Ok, here we go…

Using meadow Ch 80 and join with a slst to form a circle (before completing the slst make sure chain is not twisted).

It is a good idea to check at this point that the circle of chains fits around your teapot. (see end of pattern for instructions about adjusting pattern).

Row 1: Ch1 (mark with a stitch marker, does not count as a dc), dc in each ch around,

finish with a slst in ch marked with a stitch marker taking care that work is not twisted when completing the slst. (80dc).

Row 2: Ch1 (remove stitch marker from previous row and place in this ch, does not count as a dc)

Dc in each st around, finishing with a slst in ch marked with a stitch marker. (80 dc).

 

Rows 3: repeat row 2, before joining with a slst in ch marked with st marker  (ie/ when you have the last 2 loops on your hook of the last st of the round – see photo)

 join the lipstick (red) yarn and finish with a slst as shown below

Rows 4 – 6: repeat row 2

We are now going to place a tie marker (a temporary mark) to indicate the space for the handle hole.  Before you start the next row, take a small scrap of yarn in a contrasting colour and thread through st marked with the stitch marker. Tie a bow. 

Row 7: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, does not count as dc), slst in the same st as the tie marker and in next 4 sts, mark this last slst with a second tie marker. This indicates the space for hole for the handle.

1dc in next 75sts around to stitch marker.  On 75th dc (last st)change to candyfloss (pink yarn) ie/ when last 2 loops on hook of the last dc as before.  Finish st with pink yarn, slstinto ch marked with st marker (75dc, 5 slst).

Row 8: Ch 1 (counts as a dc), turn work,  1dc in next 74sts (this row should finish in the st above the st marked with the tie marker in the previous round. 

Row 9: ch1 (counts as a dc) turn work, dc in next 74sts (75sts in total).  Change to sky blue yarn in last dc. 

Row 10: ch1 (counts as a dc) turn work, dc in next 74 sts (75sts in total). 

Row 11: Repeat row 9, changing to saffron (yellow yarn) in last dc.  Row 12: (saffron) Repeat row 9. 

Row 13: Repeat row 9, changing to duck egg yarn in last dc. 

Row 14: ch1 (counts as dc), turn work, dc in next 19sts, slst in next 35sts, dcin next 20sts (40dc, 35slst, 75sts in total). 

Row 15: Repeat row 14.

Row 16: ch1 (counts as a dc), turn work, dc in next 19sts, dctogin next st (sts 21 and 22), slst in next 31sts, dctog in next st, dcin next 20sts (42dc, 31slst = 73sts in total).

Row 17: ch1 (counts as a dc) turn work, dc in next 20sts, slst in next 31sts, dc in next 21sts (73sts in total). 

Row 18: ch1 (counts as a dc), turn work, dc in next 19sts, dctog in next st (sts 21 and 22), slst in next 29sts, dctog in next st, dc in next 20sts (42dc, 29slst = 71sts in total). 

Row 19: ch1 (counts as a dc), turn work, dc in next 20sts, slst in next 29sts, dc in next 21sts (71sts in total).  It should be starting to look a little something like this…

Row 20: Ch1 (counts as a dc) turn work, dc in next 19sts dctog in next st (sts 21 & 22), slst in next 27sts, dctog in next st, dc in next 20sts (42dc, 27slst = 69sts). 

Row 21: Ch1  (counts as a dc), turn work, dcin next 20sts, slst in next 27sts, dc in next 21sts (42dc, 27 slst = 69sts). 

Row 22: Ch1 (counts as a dc), turn work, dc in next 19sts, dctog in next st (sts 21 & 22), dctog in next st (sts 23 & 24), dc in next 21sts, dctog in next st, dctog in next st, dc in next 20sts (65sts). 

Your cosy should be starting to take shape now!

Row 23: Ch1 (counts as a dc), turn, dc in next 19 sts,dctog in next st (sts 21 & 22), dc tog in next st (sts 23 & 24),dc in next 17sts, dctog in next st, dctog in next st, dc in next 20sts  (61sts). 

We return to working in the round in the next row. 

Row 24: Ch1 (counts as a dc) – mark with a st marker, turn, dc in next 2sts, dctog in next st, *dc in next 3sts,dctog in next st*, repeat * -* around, finishing with 1dc in last st, ch3 and slst into st marked with stitch marker.

 Row 25: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, counts as a dc), dc in each st around, finishing with a slst in ch marked with stitch marker (52dc). 

Row 26: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, counts as a dc), dc in next st, dctog in next st, *dc in next 2 sts, dctog in next st* repeat *-* around, finishing with dctog, slst in ch marked with stitch marker (39dc). 

Row 27: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, counts as a dc), dc in each st around, finishing with a slst in ch marked with a stitch marker (39dc). 

Row 28: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, counts as a dc), dctoginnext st, *dc in next st, dctog in next st* repeat *-* around, finishing with a dctog, slst in ch marked with a stitch marker (26dc). 

Row 29: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, counts as a dc), dc in each st around, finishing with a slst in ch marked with a stitch marker (26dc). 

Row 30: Ch1 (remove st marker from previous row and place in this ch, DOES NOT COUNT AS A DC), *dctog in next st*, repeat *-* around, finishing with a dctog, slst in ch marked with a stitch marker (12dc). 

Row 31: Repeat row 30 (6dc)

Leaving a small hole, fasten off and weave in ends.  The little hole allows for the knob of the teapot lid to poke through and helps to keep the cosy positioned on teapot.

Now hand sew on buttons of all different sizes.

Next hand sew on the lace with a simple running stitch. 

I used meadow yarn for the lace at the bottom of the cosy and duck egg yarn for the lace around the buttons.

Just one last thing left to do now.  Boil the kettle and make a brew…enjoy and admire.

xxxxx

Grandma Mabel Tea Cosy part of the Grandma Collection ©2016 designed by Nicola Florence @ayarnyrobin